On the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen Middle Eastern terrorists hijacked four American passenger jets and used the planes as guided missiles to attack symbolic targets on the Eastern Seaboard
of the United States. Two planes slammed into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, causing both towers to collapse.
A third plane crashed into the Pentagon, near Washington, D.C., and a fourth went down in the Pennsylvania countryside when
passengers resisted the hijackers. The devastating series of attacks killed some 3,000 Americans, more than had died in the
Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 60 years previously. In the hours and days following September 11, American and foreign
intelligence services identified Osama bin Laden, a Saudi millionaire living in exile in Afghanistan, as the mastermind behind
the attacks. On September 20, President George W. Bush spoke before a Joint Session of Congress and outlined America's response
to the events of September 11. In the speech, televised live around the nation and the world and excerpted here, Bush announced
that “Our war on terror begins with al-Qaeda (the terrorist network associated with bin Laden), but it does not end there.
It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated.” Less than three weeks
after Bush's speech, American forces launched a military campaign in Afghanistan to capture bin Laden and overthrow Afghanistan's
Taliban government, which had long aided and abetted bin Laden and other terrorists. Although bin Laden's whereabouts and
fate were unknown at the end of 2001, the American campaign in Afghanistan succeeded in toppling the Taliban from power and
inflicting major damage on bin Laden's terrorist network. With American support, a new pro-Western government was installed
in Afghanistan in early 2002.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tempore, members of Congress, and fellow Americans: In the normal course of events, Presidents
come to this chamber to report on the state of the Union. Tonight, no such report is needed. It has already been delivered
by the American people.

We have seen it in the courage of passengers, who rushed terrorists to save others on the ground--passengers like an exceptional
man named Todd Beamer. And would you please help me to welcome his wife, Lisa Beamer, here tonight. We have seen the state
of our Union in the endurance of rescuers, working past exhaustion. We have seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles,
the giving of blood, the saying of prayers--in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. We have seen the decency of a loving and giving
people who have made the grief of strangers their own. My fellow citizens, for the last nine days, the entire world has seen
for itself the state of our Union--and it is strong. Tonight we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom.
Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies,
justice will be done.

I thank the Congress for its leadership at such an important time. All of America was touched on the evening of the tragedy
to see Republicans and Democrats joined together on the steps of this Capitol, singing “God Bless America.” And you did more
than sing; you acted, by delivering $40 billion to rebuild our communities and meet the needs of our military. Speaker Hastert,
Minority Leader Gephardt, Majority Leader Daschle and Senator Lott, I thank you for your friendship, for your leadership and
for your service to our country.

And on behalf of the American people, I thank the world for its outpouring of support. America will never forget the sounds
of our National Anthem playing at Buckingham Palace, on the streets of Paris, and at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. We will not
forget South Korean children gathering to pray outside our embassy in Seoul, or the prayers of sympathy offered at a mosque
in Cairo. We will not forget moments of silence and days of mourning in Australia and Africa and Latin America. Nor will we
forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died with our own: dozens of Pakistanis; more than 130 Israelis; more than 250
citizens of India; men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico and Japan; and hundreds of British citizens. America has no
truer friend than Great Britain. Once again, we are joined together in a great cause--so honored the British Prime Minister
has crossed an ocean to show his unity of purpose with America. Thank you for coming, friend.

On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. Americans have known wars--but for
the past 136 years, they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941. Americans have known the casualties
of war--but not at the center of a great city on a peaceful morning. Americans have known surprise attacks--but never before
on thousands of civilians. All of this was brought upon us in a single day--and night fell on a different world, a world where
freedom itself is under attack.

Americans have many questions tonight. Americans are asking: Who attacked our country? The evidence we have gathered all points
to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda. They are the same murderers indicted for
bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and responsible for bombing the USS Cole. Al Qaeda is to terror what the
mafia is to crime. But its goal is not making money; its goal is remaking the world--and imposing its radical beliefs on people
everywhere. The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast
majority of Muslim clerics--a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam. The terrorists' directive commands
them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinction among military and civilians, including women
and children.

This group and its leader--a person named Osama bin Laden--are linked to many other organizations in different countries,
including the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. There are thousands of these terrorists in more
than 60 countries. They are recruited from their own nations and neighborhoods and brought to camps in places like Afghanistan,
where they are trained in the tactics of terror. They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in countries around the
world to plot evil and destruction. The leadership of al Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan and supports the Taliban
regime in controlling most of that country. In Afghanistan, we see al Qaeda's vision for the world.

Afghanistan's people have been brutalized--many are starving and many have fled. Women are not allowed to attend school. You
can be jailed for owning a television. Religion can be practiced only as their leaders dictate. A man can be jailed in Afghanistan
if his beard is not long enough. The United States respects the people of Afghanistan--after all, we are currently its largest
source of humanitarian aid--but we condemn the Taliban regime. It is not only repressing its own people, it is threatening
people everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists. By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime
is committing murder.

And tonight, the United States of America makes the following demands on the Taliban: Deliver to United States authorities
all the leaders of al Qaeda who hide in your land. Release all foreign nationals, including American citizens, you have unjustly
imprisoned. Protect foreign journalists, diplomats and aid workers in your country. Close immediately and permanently every
terrorist training camp in Afghanistan, and hand over every terrorist, and every person in their support structure, to appropriate
authorities. Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps, so we can make sure they are no longer operating.
These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act, and act immediately. They will hand over the
terrorists, or they will share in their fate.

I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world. We respect your faith. It's practiced freely by many
millions of Americans, and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful,
and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah. The terrorists are traitors to their own faith,
trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends.
Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them. Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda,
but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.

Americans are asking, why do they hate us? They hate what we see right here in this chamber--a democratically elected government.
Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms--our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote
and assemble and disagree with each other. They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries, such as Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of
vast regions of Asia and Africa. These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end a way of life. With
every atrocity, they hope that America grows fearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. They stand against
us, because we stand in their way.

We are not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies
of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions--by abandoning every value except the will to
power--they follow in the path of fascism, and Nazism, and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way, to
where it ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.

Americans are asking: How will we fight and win this war? We will direct every resource at our command--every means of diplomacy,
every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of
war--to the disruption and to the defeat of the global terror network. . . . Our response involves far more than instant retaliation
and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen.
It may include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of
funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue
nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you
are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism
will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.

Our nation has been put on notice: We are not immune from attack. We will take defensive measures against terrorism to protect
Americans. Today, dozens of federal departments and agencies, as well as state and local governments, have responsibilities
affecting homeland security. These efforts must be coordinated at the highest level. So tonight I announce the creation of
a Cabinet-level position reporting directly to me--the Office of Homeland Security. And tonight I also announce a distinguished
American to lead this effort, to strengthen American security: a military veteran, an effective governor, a true patriot,
a trusted friend--Pennsylvania's Tom Ridge. He will lead, oversee and coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard
our country against terrorism, and respond to any attacks that may come.

These measures are essential. But the only way to defeat terrorism as a threat to our way of life is to stop it, eliminate
it, and destroy it where it grows. Many will be involved in this effort, from FBI agents to intelligence operatives to the
reservists we have called to active duty. All deserve our thanks, and all have our prayers. And tonight, a few miles from
the damaged Pentagon, I have a message for our military: Be ready. I've called the Armed Forces to alert, and there is a reason.
The hour is coming when America will act, and you will make us proud.

This is not, however, just America's fight. And what is at stake is not just America's freedom. This is the world's fight.
This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom. We ask
every nation to join us. We will ask, and we will need, the help of police forces, intelligence services, and banking systems
around the world. The United States is grateful that many nations and many international organizations have already responded--with
sympathy and with support. Nations from Latin America, to Asia, to Africa, to Europe, to the Islamic world. Perhaps the NATO
Charter reflects best the attitude of the world: An attack on one is an attack on all. . . .

Americans are asking: What is expected of us? I ask you to live your lives, and hug your children. I know many citizens have
fears tonight, and I ask you to be calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat.

I ask you to uphold the values of America, and remember why so many have come here. We are in a fight for our principles,
and our first responsibility is to live by them. No one should be singled out for unfair treatment or unkind words because
of their ethnic background or religious faith. . . .

We will come together to give law enforcement the additional tools it needs to track down terror here at home. We will come
together to strengthen our intelligence capabilities to know the plans of terrorists before they act, and find them before
they strike. We will come together to take active steps that strengthen America's economy, and put our people back to work.
Tonight we welcome two leaders who embody the extraordinary spirit of all New Yorkers: Governor George Pataki, and Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani. As a symbol of America's resolve, my administration will work with Congress, and these two leaders, to show the
world that we will rebuild New York City.

After all that has just passed--all the lives taken, and all the possibilities and hopes that died with them--it is natural
to wonder if America's future is one of fear. Some speak of an age of terror. I know there are struggles ahead, and dangers
to face. But this country will define our times, not be defined by them. As long as the United States of America is determined
and strong, this will not be an age of terror; this will be an age of liberty, here and across the world.

Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our
moment. Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom--the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of
every time--now depends on us. Our nation--this generation--will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future.
We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not
fail.

It is my hope that in the months and years ahead, life will return almost to normal. We'll go back to our lives and routines,
and that is good. Even grief recedes with time and grace. But our resolve must not pass. Each of us will remember what happened
that day, and to whom it happened. We'll remember the moment the news came--where we were and what we were doing. Some will
remember an image of a fire, or a story of rescue. Some will carry memories of a face and a voice gone forever.

And I will carry this: It is the police shield of a man named George Howard, who died at the World Trade Center trying to
save others. It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son. This is my reminder of lives that ended,
and a task that does not end.

I will not forget this wound to our country or those who inflicted it. I will not yield; I will not rest; I will not relent
in waging this struggle for freedom and security for the American people. The course of this conflict is not known, yet its
outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between
them.

Fellow citizens, we'll meet violence with patient justice--assured of the rightness of our cause, and confident of the victories
to come. In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may He watch over the United States of America.

Source: “Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People,” September 20, 2001, http://www.whitehouse.gov

President Clinton, distinguished guests and my fellow citizens, the peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet
common in our country. With a simple oath, we affirm old traditions and make new beginnings.

As I begin, I thank President Clinton for his service to our nation.

And I thank Vice President Gore for a contest conducted with spirit and ended with grace. I am honored and humbled to stand
here, where so many of America's leaders have come before me, and so many will follow.

We have a place, all of us, in a long story--a story we continue, but whose end we will not see. It is the story of a new
world that became a friend and liberator of the old, a story of a slave-holding society that became a servant of freedom,
the story of a power that went into the world to protect but not possess, to defend but not to conquer.

It is the American story--a story of flawed and fallible people, united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals.

The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding American promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that
no insignificant person was ever born.

Americans are called to enact this promise in our lives and in our laws. And though our nation has sometimes halted, and sometimes
delayed, we must follow no other course.

Through much of the last century, America's faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea. Now it is a seed upon
the wind, taking root in many nations.

Our democratic faith is more than the creed of our country, it is the inborn hope of our humanity, an ideal we carry but do
not own, a trust we bear and pass along. And even after nearly 225 years, we have a long way yet to travel.

While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the promise, even the justice, of our own country. The ambitions of some
Americans are limited by failing schools and hidden prejudice and the circumstances of their birth. And sometimes our differences
run so deep, it seems we share a continent, but not a country.

We do not accept this, and we will not allow it. Our unity, our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every
generation. And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity.

I know this is in our reach because we are guided by a power larger than ourselves who creates us equal in His image.

And we are confident in principles that unite and lead us onward.

America has never been united by blood or birth or soil. We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift
us above our interests and teach us what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen
must uphold them. And every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, makes our country more, not less, American.

Today, we affirm a new commitment to live out our nation's promise through civility, courage, compassion and character.

America, at its best, matches a commitment to principle with a concern for civility. A civil society demands from each of
us good will and respect, fair dealing and forgiveness.

Some seem to believe that our politics can afford to be petty because, in a time of peace, the stakes of our debates appear
small.

But the stakes for America are never small. If our country does not lead the cause of freedom, it will not be led. If we do
not turn the hearts of children toward knowledge and character, we will lose their gifts and undermine their idealism. If
we permit our economy to drift and decline, the vulnerable will suffer most.

We must live up to the calling we share. Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over
cynicism, of community over chaos. And this commitment, if we keep it, is a way to shared accomplishment.

America, at its best, is also courageous.

Our national courage has been clear in times of depression and war, when defending common dangers defined our common good.
Now we must choose if the example of our fathers and mothers will inspire us or condemn us. We must show courage in a time
of blessing by confronting problems instead of passing them on to future generations.

Together, we will reclaim America's schools, before ignorance and apathy claim more young lives.

We will reform Social Security and Medicare, sparing our children from struggles we have the power to prevent. And we will
reduce taxes, to recover the momentum of our economy and reward the effort and enterprise of working Americans.

We will confront weapons of mass destruction, so that a new century is spared new horrors. The enemies of liberty and our
country should make no mistake: America remains engaged in the world by history and by choice, shaping a balance of power
that favors freedom. We will defend our allies and our interests. We will show purpose without arrogance. We will meet aggression
and bad faith with resolve and strength. And to all nations, we will speak for the values that gave our nation birth.

America, at its best, is compassionate. In the quiet of American conscience, we know that deep, persistent poverty is unworthy
of our nation's promise.

And whatever our views of its cause, we can agree that children at risk are not at fault. Abandonment and abuse are not acts
of God, they are failures of love.

And the proliferation of prisons, however necessary, is no substitute for hope and order in our souls.

Where there is suffering, there is duty. Americans in need are not strangers, they are citizens, not problems, but priorities.
And all of us are diminished when any are hopeless.

Government has great responsibilities for public safety and public health, for civil rights and common schools. Yet compassion
is the work of a nation, not just a government.

And some needs and hurts are so deep they will only respond to a mentor's touch or a pastor's prayer. Church and charity,
synagogue and mosque lend our communities their humanity, and they will have an honored place in our plans and in our laws.

Many in our country do not know the pain of poverty, but we can listen to those who do. And I can pledge our nation to a goal:
When we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to the other side.

America, at its best, is a place where personal responsibility is valued and expected.

Encouraging responsibility is not a search for scapegoats, it is a call to conscience. And though it requires sacrifice, it
brings a deeper fulfillment. We find the fullness of life not only in options, but in commitments. And we find that children
and community are the commitments that set us free.

Our public interest depends on private character, on civic duty and family bonds and basic fairness, on uncounted, unhonored
acts of decency which give direction to our freedom.

Sometimes in life we are called to do great things. But as a saint of our times has said, every day we are called to do small
things with great love. The most important tasks of a democracy are done by everyone.

I will live and lead by these principles: to advance my convictions with civility, to pursue the public interest with courage,
to speak for greater justice and compassion, to call for responsibility and try to live it as well.

In all these ways, I will bring the values of our history to the care of our times.

What you do is as important as anything government does. I ask you to seek a common good beyond your comfort; to defend needed
reforms against easy attacks; to serve your nation, beginning with your neighbor. I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not
spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens, building communities of service and a nation of character.

Americans are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe in ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves.
When this spirit of citizenship is missing, no government program can replace it. When this spirit is present, no wrong can
stand against it.

After the Declaration of Independence was signed, Virginia statesman John Page wrote to Thomas Jefferson: “We know the race
is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. Do you not think an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm?”

Much time has passed since Jefferson arrived for his inauguration. The years and changes accumulate. But the themes of this
day he would know: our nation's grand story of courage and its simple dream of dignity.

We are not this story's author, who fills time and eternity with his purpose. Yet his purpose is achieved in our duty, and
our duty is fulfilled in service to one another.

Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing, we renew that purpose today, to make our country more just and generous, to
affirm the dignity of our lives and every life.

This work continues. This story goes on. And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm.

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